Transmigration: On the Gossip Front
Chapter 280 True or False First Love 80_1

Chapter 280: Chapter 280 True or False First Love 80_1

The incident occurred in the family housing area of the machinery factory, but it blew up big, as it had already claimed a life, and word about it spread rapidly.

Zhou Lina heard about it while at work, her face a mask of stunned disbelief.

The expressions of the others were no better, "Just because the daughter didn’t find a good job for her brother, they pushed her down the stairs?"

Everyone felt that resorting to such measures over this matter was truly incomprehensible.

Everyone found the logic impossible to understand, "I also can’t understand, but it really is as such."

"Moreover, I heard that the two families have completely fallen out and have already involved the police."

"Ah, the police?" Someone mentioned this and instinctively glanced at Zhou Lina.

Zhou Lina, of course, noticed the looks from her colleagues, "Regardless of intention, regardless of why they acted, a life has been lost after all."

"Even parents do not have the right to take away the right to life of anyone."

"If the matter’s gotten this serious, and if the culprit doesn’t receive any punishment, wouldn’t everyone think they can follow suit, dismiss all responsibility with the excuse of being family?"

Zhou Lina knew that many hurtful incidents were resolved internally, on the grounds of "family."

Hearing Zhou Lina’s reasoning, some found it sensible, while others thought she was being too stern, but they wouldn’t raise their objections here.

Even though Zhou Lina had joined the factory just over a year ago, who didn’t know that Chief Xiao of the financial department really favored her?

For a newcomer, she truly distinguished herself during that major internal collusion case, standing out in the financial department.

After her mentor, Accountant Feng, retired, she became the leading figure in cost accounting.

At first, some were disgruntled since others had joined the cost accounting sector earlier and had more experience—why should she lead?

Accountant Xiao, upon hearing these doubts, did not automatically endorse her but crisply proposed a competition instead.

Everyone thought that was fair. As finance professionals, one must let ability do the talking. The results silenced any critics.

They truly hadn’t expected Zhou Lina, who had not worked in the financial department for long, to make such rapid progress, and they understood why Accountant Feng, upon retiring, had recommended Zhou Lina, and Accountant Xiao had readily agreed.

Zhou Lina became well-known after that battle and then established more standardized regulations for material storage and inventory, also mandating that the finance department would conduct random inspections of the warehouse every month.

In the following months, there were no issues with costs and inventory, and everyone’s respect for Zhou Lina grew even more.

This naturally brought to mind earlier speculations that Zhou Lina might very well become the head of the financial department.

Initially, when people said this, they attributed it to her connections—a martyr father who was well-regarded by many leaders in the factory, and her mother, a very capable vice-head of the union.

Even after her mother left the steel factory to work at the city’s federation of trade unions, a position that offered even brighter prospects than being a vice-head at the steel factory.

When people first heard this rumor, of course, they were not convinced. After all, the financial department was also considered a technical sector; how could such factors lead someone to become the head?

But now, faced with similar rumors, people truly saw no issue; Zhou Lina’s capabilities were undeniable.

If she could not become the head of the financial department, it was hard to imagine who else could.

Such talk was rampant, and naturally, Zhou Lina had heard it as well, but she truly didn’t care.

She had never thought of working in the steel mill for her entire life; what she had in mind was to stay there until the college entrance examination was reinstated.

To stay here working was not a worry for employment, but the sky here was too small, and more importantly, there were too many annoying people around.

"By the way, Xiao Zhou, you’re not getting any younger, there’s a relative of mine..." someone remembered a relative had entrusted them with a request.

The people who had started working at the factory around the same time as Zhou Lina had almost all started dating, and if they were quick, had already married or were preparing to get married.

So far, Zhou Lina was the only one showing no signs of such activities, living the life of a lone maiden.

It wasn’t because she lacked good qualities; on the contrary, she had excellent conditions, with her own apartment, a good job, but her temper was not agreeable, and nobody wanted to bring home such a restless daughter-in-law.

But now, knowing that her future was bright, how could one not be tempted, especially since she had her own place where the couple could live in after marriage and vacate the family home for others?

Living separately, not looking to take advantage and unlikely to have any conflicts, and as time went on and they had children, Zhou Lina, with no maternal family to rely on, would surely help out her in-laws in times of trouble, wouldn’t she?

"You’re introducing me to a boyfriend?" Zhou Lina’s face was full of surprise, she knew the reason her colleagues weren’t introducing anyone to her and she never expected them to help with matchmaking.

Some might see it as poor personal relationships, but in her view, it was for the best, otherwise it would be awkward to reject a match someone had set up for her.

In her eyes, she truly wasn’t old, even though it was common to marry young at that time; at the very least, one should be 22 years old before getting married.

When one’s youth had passed the tender age of twenty, to encounter a suitable man and then spend a couple of years dating, taking their time to really understand each other.

And now they were thinking of introducing her to someone. Had they only just realized her value?

"I already have a boyfriend." Even if she didn’t, Zhou Lina wasn’t interested in meeting anyone; turning down the offer was just going to be more complicated to explain.

But now things were easy, she could openly declare that she had a boyfriend, and kindly ask them to refrain from arranging any more blind dates.

This news truly shocked everyone, "What, Xiao Na, you really have a boyfriend?"

"Who introduced you to him?"

Everyone was genuinely surprised; the factory was quite large, but Zhou Lina was indeed a prominent figure there.

If someone had arranged a date for her, it would have been unheard of for it not to have spread, but nobody had caught wind of such news.

Everybody was really curious about who Zhou Lina’s partner was.

There was nothing to hide, and no reason to skulk around, "Gu Kai."

Gu Kai? At first, everyone couldn’t place him, wondering who he was, which relative’s, which department he worked in.

Someone thought hard but couldn’t recall anyone named Gu Kai working in the offices of the steel mill.

"Was it your mom who introduced you?" someone guessed, thinking about their connections—all in the steel mill—compared to Zhang Shifen’s wider network, knowing many from different factories’ union staff.

The scope for Zhou Lina’s matchmaking prospects had been considerably broadened, causing envy and jealousy among those with many children at home.

Who wouldn’t want their children to find more conveniently excellent partners, but such ideal matches were not easy to come by.

Even if there were many competitors, Zhou Lina had now leaped out of the steel mill circle, giving her a wider range of choices.